Responsible Parenting and Cyber Gadgets

The 6th of December was my son's 11th birthday. For his present he wanted either a smartphone or a smart watch. We settled for a smartphone. The first thing we did after acquiring it was to make sure it is installed with software that blocks access to sites that have content above his age. Then we had to set rules on how he should use his gadget. We have WiFi at home and through his phone he has access to the internet. Almost all his classmates have smart phones and they have a class chat group on WhatsApp. This group can get very active and at times when I am working late they are messages that beep into his phone. The night activity of this group influenced another rule, that the phone does not go into his bedroom when he goes to sleep. Over the holidays we discovered that he was being bullied by one of his friends, a situation we had to address. Does this sound normal to a teenage parent?

As technology develops, it comes with challenges of varying degrees. I understand some kids as young as 5 years own smartphones or tablets. The challenge we face then is when we react to the hazards that come with these gadgets. At schools and at our work places, there are rules and regulations that govern the use of these gadgets. Unfortunately some of our homes are a free for all. We end up with kids who are addicted to online activities. Besides cyber bullies and sexual deviants, another danger our kids are exposed to online is Social Media communities. It becomes harmful when we fail to give them proper guidance on how to navigate this technology jungle. Maybe the bigger challenge is that we don't know how to handle it ourselves as guardians. Digital Marketing analyst Brian Solis says, "Social Media is about sociology and psychology more than technology." So, as a parent, its not about how much you are technically knowledgeable, its more about how your child is being influenced online. There is an African saying which goes, it takes a village to raise a child. That village used to be our physical neighbors. With connectivity and mobility, you have a million possible characters that have the potential to influence the character development of your child.

The academic space is equally moving with times. There is e-Learning and all schools are taking advantage of technology. Some schools have websites and are active on Social Media. This improves communication with stake holders. When there is an important message - it can be shared in real time at the click of a button instead of making numerous phone calls. Teachers can utilize various online programs for information dissemination and or conducting experiments. Carrie Snow, a stand up comedian and TV Series writer states, "Technology....is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other." Quite a mouthful. So as we cherish the advanced development that comes with technology like Social Media applications, let us beware of the hazards that come with it. Knowledge is power and we get knowledge from information; information is now readily available on the internet. However we ought to take heed of these wise words from Mitchel Kapor the founder of the spreadsheet Lotus 1-2-3, "Getting information off the internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant." The pressure can inflict serious injuries - although they can be physical, most are emotional and emotional injuries take time to heal. As a responsible parent, you would want to guide your child's Cyber Space experience.

We will be hosting a conference on Social Media and Minors in Cape Town, on the 3rd of March 2016. If you are a stakeholder in the provision of a safe environment of children, join us in this important discussion. For more details visit alefinnovations.com

Digital Marketing in January.....

January marks the beginning of the year. A lot of social activities begin with the new year. Children begin school whilst other move to a higher grade. As individuals we make resolutions for the new year and at the first month we try our level best to honor those resolutions. Businesses also have plans and programs that begin with the new year. Budgets are released and spending is generous for some whilst others are very cautious as they seek to spread their resources throughout the year. Most of us would have over indulged during the festive season and January finds us literally broke. Broke as we are, we are part of your valued customers and it is through us that you will meet your objectives for this new year. The question is, since most of us are generally broke and our buying power is literally at zero, do you ease up in reaching out to us until our situation improves? Some of us might actually need a couple of months before we recover from festive expenditures.

When we are down, we normally need a shoulder to cry on. We need someone to assure us that tomorrow is going to be better. We seek solace from friends and acquaintances. Cyber space has removed the barrier of distance to be in touch with those whose company we enjoy. A problem shared is a problem solved. We naturally turn to Social Media where we get motivational messages. Some of our friends share jokes that have a relaxing effect; showing us how we over indulged during the festive season. Social Media is the place that gives us temporary relief from our real life January misery. An astute marketer should be able to help any business tell their story such that they appeal to a target audience despite the audience's mood. This is the time to drive traffic to our website. Our audience is already online though not necessarily looking for us. Care must be taken not to be too pushy and forcing our products in front of our audience. That can be offending. The information we share should showcase how our products will solve the problems our clients are facing.

Social Media is mainly about being social and having fun. Our content strategy should have the same theme. When our content is deemed to be both fun and problem solving, we will entice our audience to share our material. When our material is widely shared we tend to benefit from the exponential effect - a friend shares with their friend who shares with their friend - and might even end up with a viral campaign. So content marketing should not only be serious and factual but witty, humorous and entertaining. It is not always possible to get an internal person who can have all these attributes, hence the need to outsource part or all of our digital marketing activities. 

Should you be in need of assistance with your Digital Marketing, Website, Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, you can visit our website www.alefinnovations.com or contact us directly. Your comments are also most appreciated, do not hesitate to also share this article - sharing is caring.